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New report paints a bleak picture of displacement in San Jose

Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco speaks at the community strategy to end displacement press conference in San Jose on Jan. 15. Photo Credit: Jeff Barrera/Working Partnerships USA

More than 1.5 million residents fled the Bay Area between 2010 and 2016 due in part to the rising cost-of-living, including San Joseans who are increasingly forced out.

A coalition of local housing advocates, nonprofits and lawmakers recently released a report that they hope will shine a light on how displacement is a driving factor in the housing crisis and what can be done to help.

San Jose since 2018 joined forces with PolicyLink, a prominent research institute that focuses on racial and economic equity. San Jose was one of ten cities nationwide selected to take part in the initiative, which launched in March 2018, and included cities such as Austin, Boston, Nashville and Denver.

The city’s Housing and Planning departments, Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, Working Partnerships USA, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and SOMOS Mayfair compiled responses from hundreds of surveys and one-on-one conversations with residents for 14 months to paint the disturbing picture of displacement in San Jose, in addition to working with UC Berkeley’s Urban Displacement Project.

The report focused on families of four earning less than $104,000 annually, or 80 percent of the area median income, and found 54 percent of respondents said they fear being displaced, while 72 percent said they personally knew someone who has already been forced out.

According to the report, renters in San Jose must earn $52 an hour – totaling almost $109,000 a year – to afford monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment, while affording a median priced single-family home demands around $108 an hour, or $224,000 annually. The city’s minimum wage currently sits at $15.25 an hour.

In addition to high housing costs, 41 percent of households in the area are considered extremely-low, very-low, or low income. These disparities affect Black and Latinx residents more prevalently, the report found, as 64 percent of these households are considered low-income.

Not only have these concerns been growing for years since the tech boom, but redlining and discrimination controlled communities between 1930 and 1976. The report said 87 percent of current displacement areas align with historically redlined neighborhoods that were rated “hazardous” or “definitely declining,” while neighborhoods such as Willow Glen, Rose Garden and Naglee Park utilized racially restrictive contracts.

Graphic courtesy of city of San Jose.

“This has been happening over the last decade,” Carrasco said. “But what we are seeing is that it’s being exacerbated, so now we’re really feeling the effect and the pressure and people are just being choked out of their homes. Now we see the transformation of communities.”

A displacement map included in the report shows nearly all of Carrasco’s district is affected, which is home to significantly large Latino and Vietnamese populations.

“I represent one of the most challenged districts. It’s a working class and working poor district, so we’re just where displacement and gentrification take place,” she said. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing on the East Side is we’re losing a lot of the culture, we’re losing a lot of the character.”

While the City Council has increased protections through policies like the Ellis Act and rent increase caps, the lawmaker said there’s more to do.

Jeffrey Buchanan, policy director at Working Partnerships USA, said that while many conversations between community leaders and lawmakers focus on building more market-rate and affordable housing, he hopes the report highlights unique solutions from the people who are directly affected.

“What we’re trying to do with this report was say that, yes, we need more production, but we also got to really beef up our policy when it comes to preserving the affordable housing we have, and protecting tenants to ensure that families can continue to stay here,” Buchanan said, noting that 10,000 San Jose tenants get eviction notices annually.

“If we’re not doing those things, we could be losing more than we’re building when it comes to really ensuring that those families that live here, that love the city, that want to stay here can remain,” he added.

City leaders in recent years have started crafting policies to increase tenant protections, preservation of income restricted housing and new affordable housing production. Officials said providing legal assistance to tenants, supporting policies like commercial linkage fees and tenant purchase opportunities, in addition to landlord incentives, may also help chip away at the problem.

Officials are gathering more input about displacement solutions at future community meetings.

San Jose Housing Director Jacky Morales-Ferrand said compiling stakeholder feedback is vital to the success of any plans to tackle displacement.

“As the director of housing, it’s really important for me to listen to these voices before I make recommendations,” she said, adding that she’s “proud” the report is resident-centered.

Displacement is a difficult topic to understand, she added, especially in comparison to other housing challenges such as increasing production.

“This report was really critical in giving us foundational information about all the different tools and strategies that cities across the country are using to address the issue of displacement,” Morales-Ferrand said. “But it also just reminded me of how challenging it is to address this whole issue of displacement.”

Contact Katie Lauer at klauer77@gmail.com or follow @_katielauer on Twitter.

Editor’s Note: The executive director of Working Partnerships USA, Derecka Mehrens, sits on San José Spotlight’s Board of Directors.

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Comments (17)

71 year old senior getting evicted in Capitol Park is an example of a Community Member facing Displacement. She went to Carrssco. No Help!

She went to the Courts to fight an Illegal Eviction, and won 6 more months in her unit.

After that, no help from the City, County, or her Church.

Carrasco had the chance to help but would rather take a Photo Oppertunity.

You can talk all about helping others but it is your actions that paint a picture of who you really are.

And Planning, if Carrasco had any intention of helping the East Valley, we would have an Urban Village Plan that includes 150 pages or better. That would at least equal the other Urban Village Plans in the City.

What do we have, we have 5, count them on one hand, five 1/2 pages thst the City calls an Urban Village Plan.

The Zoning Change in the East Valley is an open door for Developers to Displace our families in the near future if not sooner.

Lets all vote her into the Supervisor seat so everyone can hear her beautiful speaking positions about how she has imporved the quality of life in the East Valley as she endeavors to improve the life of everyone else in the Valley, just like she did in the Esdt Valley.

Oh Danny, Danny, Danny Garza. Aren’t you that AL Danny Garza that is against affordable housing? Aren’t you AL Danny Garza whose father, a sitting Council member, got arrested for corruption? Aren’t you AL Danny Garza that lost badly to Carrasco in June 2018. You’re a sore loser, do meditation or yoga. It’s time to move on.

They made the mistake decades ago by allowing high techs corps in without insisting that the company provided their own housing. The city and county have provide nothing in the way of affordable housing from measure A, one tiny apartment complex that houses sixteen people and one unit is for the caregiver, but has loaned out money from the 950 million that taxpayers are paying for to 8 first time homebuyers, now mind you that 950 million was suppose to be used for low income housing for the low income and homeless only, by the way, one of the recipients was an Engineer, tell me can’t afford to get his own loan. And now they are trying to pass Measure E to tax the upper class, which if it passes, it would go into the general fund…..hahahahaha! To be used to pay their unfuned benefits more likely! I am in awe, 3 years they’ve had 950 million, plus let’s not forget the interest and they have done nothing! Even if they really tried to do something now it’s to late, by the time they do get something built, there will be another 1000 who have lost their home. You can’t wait until you have 10,00o homeless and then decide you better do something!

You know Carrasco Chief of Staff told a Community meeting that the San Jose Police Department told Her, Frances H. – “Not to talk to me”

That is a lie. If I was a Convicted Spousal Abuser, how in the Hell could I Coach Wrestling at any High School, let alone James Lick High School for all of the Years she was a School Board Member of East Side Union High School District.

You see Steve, Carrasco can not have two truths. Either the FBI Fingerprints that they have of mine were over looked and the FBI was amistakenly allowing me to Coach.

Or

I was never Convicted of any anything.

Which is it Steve, really?

Carrasco said in our Campaign that I was a Convicted Spousal Abuser.

That is a lie.

She said my Mother was stalking her.

That is a lie. (Carrasco stopped my mother and took pictures of my Mother)

I ran a clean campaign. Myself and my family funded my own Campaign.

Unlike Carrasco,I received zero money from San Diego, Los Angeles, or Sacramento.

As far as my Father goes, you are reaching back over 40 years to try and put a dark film over me and my family.

Steve, if that is your name, Funny that the whole City Council was indicted on charges but only the Mexican went to Court.

If you are saying that was Politically set up. Then you are telling the truth.

If you feel like it, Explain your position as you seem to think you have more facts then We Do.

Carrasco said that my Father was a Dead beat Dad.

That is a lie. (Steve, both my Bother and I Graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory. That is not a Dead Best Dad.)

Maybe one day you can get your story straight.

I love the fact that you continue to try and throw shit around about my family.

Keep coming back, the truth does not change.

Carrasco is a liar, and you want to defend her. Go right ahead my friend.

My opinions do not change and neither do the facts.

I am in this for the Community. Manny, Nora, Javier, are gone and Plata Arroyo is still her.

Oh by the way Steve, I am the Presidemt of the strongest Neighborhood Association in San Jose. We have existed since 1978.

The issue is displacement. Or presonal attacs..for a public forum let s focus on the issue and not get personal bashing..character assassination..displacement at this stage is like a sumami at this stage..what no preparation in place? The point is this is on purposes. No one wants to prevent it.if they did. .then we would have tbe 3 P s in place ; Production Preservation Protection..Placement! Is action. Who s to be held responsible? Us for not demanding it..too little- too late..

The issue is displacement. Or presonal attacs..for a public forum let s focus on the issue and not get personal bashing..character assassination..displacement at this stage is like a sumami at this stage..what no preparation in place? The point is this is on purposes. No one wants to prevent it.if they did. .then we would have tbe 3 P s in place ; Production Preservation Protection..Placement! Is action. Who s to be held responsible? Us for not demanding it..too little- too late..

Lots of statistics that have little or no relevance. They preselected families who were at least 20% poorer than the median, and some must be well below 20% poorer, yet they have two kids, but still barely over 1/2 felt any concern of being displaced. And some folks are leaving because it is too expensive here–that is a good thing, that’s how it should be. Supply and demand sometimes get out of whack in the short term but generally it works fairly well. Workers leaving can drive up wages so those who use maids, gardeners, janitors, receptionists, and other workers near the lower end of the pay scale will have to increase pay to get the workers they want. Better to let supply and demand force those who can afford to employ those people to pay them more than to have the taxpayers provide even more benefits to help them stay, which would be the moderate income folks helping to subsidize the wealthy.

And while the high cost of living is at least part of the reason some people are leaving, did they make any effort to find out how many are leaving because the quality of life is dropping so dramatically here with all the filth, drug addicts, traffic, high-density housing such as ADUs ruining what are supposed to be single-family neighborhoods, etc?

Lets all thank big tech companies that paid to bend immigration laws around their workers. If that is not a bribe I do not know what is. By the way we should just call the bay area, little india from now on. There is no difference. It is too late our city is ruined & there is no true effort to put a stop to it. Everyone from here has left or plans on leaving. While we sought the central valley as a safehaven, it is spreading over there as well. Rent will be increased. The bay area is the first place its happened to do not let it happen elsewhere.

The number one reason 1.5M left CA was because of taxes. Taxes are much lower in Arizona than California. California residents pay nearly twice as much in state income taxes. Here is a chart with tax info.

If have left CA in the past decade, you have probably found a significant improvement in your lifestyle and mental health.

For those of you who feel risk of displacement, you concerns are well founded, and you should take action now. One option you should strongly consider being moving out of state. Immigration will not subside given the states politics. Supply of housing will not increase due to the impedance on development. You will always be catching your breath as wages will not keep up with housing costs, sales tax, and other staples. If you are Latino or Black, the public education system so poorly educates your child and holds your child to such a low expectation they simply can not compete for a job that will sustain a family in this state. In no other state is the maxim, ‘Own or be Owned’, is more true than California, specifically in the Bay Area. If you are worried about the cost of rent, you already have lost get out as soon as you can.

Do not put your faith in politicians such as Magdalena Carrasco, academics such as Miriam Zuc, activists such as Jason Buchanan, or lawyers at Silicon Valley Law Foundation. Councilmember Peralez came into office in 2015 on this same story. Evictions were running 500-600 a year. After a long battle over rent control and other regulations, rents are 25% higher and evictions are now running about 10,000 a year. Once you are evicted it will stay with you for decades. The tighter these politicians attempt to restrict landlord, the more valuable evicting you becomes.

The only way out of this is less demand, greater supply, or both. Do not hope for a government owned and operated below market rent apartment, they build them too slowly and for $600,000+ each. Even with multi billion bond measures, such as LA, they would be lucky to house the homeless faster than the politics and culture produce them.

If you are really concerned you most likely already know the truth, that you and your family are much better off moving and building a life in a place you can one day own a house and perhaps your kids could too.

The people in the background of this photo look very bored, and not in the least bit concerned about what Carrasco is saying. How much does one get paid for holding a sign and standing behind a Councilmember at a “press conference?” I am guessing it’s a minimum wage job, which is ironic.

The people in the background of this photo look very bored, and not in the least bit concerned about what Carrasco is saying. How much does one get paid for holding a sign and standing behind a Councilmember at a “press conference?” I am guessing it’s a minimum wage job, which is ironic.

Transparency and Accountability are Needed in San JoseJan 21, 2020 at 2:58PM

Yes, because all of the Council voting to let Google own downtown San Jose is really going to put a dent in the whole displacement issue. It’s so confusing for council to even act like they care about this topic — based on their recent votes/decisions…like the Google vote.

This Council is bad for the City — and yes, that includes the mayor, of course. Just want to emphasize that point.

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